Interchangeable sign letters



Jun@ 26, l`923.

3,459,765 w. M ELLIOTT INTERCHANG'EABLE SIGN LETTERS Original Filed March 18. 1922 2SheetS-Sheet l yum 26, w23. 3,45%765 w. M. ELLIOTT INTERCHANGEABLE SIGN LETTERS Original Filed March 18. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ,3 u M. E//fqfz @BY Malf@ ATTORNEYS Patented lune 2d, 1923.

sarai:

wonDswonTH ivf. ELLIOTT, or entre, AND sHnLDoN n. 000K, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

INTERCHANGEABLE SIGN LETTERS.

Application led March 18, 1922, Serial No. 544,818. Renewed November 28, 1922.

To LU 107mm it may concern Be it known that we, lVonDswoiirH M. linmo'rr and SifinLDoN E. Cook, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at

5 Crete, in the county of` Saline and State of Nebraska, and Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improve ments in Interchangeable Sign Letters, of which the following in a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in sign letters designedfor beingintercliangeably assembled when building up out-door and indoor signs and insignia, for vornamental advertising` and formative as well as other purposes, especially where such letters are to be more or less individual in character or subject to change or alteration.

Primarily our invention seeks to provide an improved formation of sign letters of the general character stated that can be economically made and which, when of metal, may be shaped up by stampingy or punching.

Another object of our invention is to provide all metal letter plates or units, stamped or otherwise formed of blank members, so designed that the said letter plates can be conveniently telescopically connected, selfsupported. and including interlocking elements such as will render the joined letters or sign fool-proof.

A nother object of our invention is to provide sign letters shaped for sidewise telescopically en gaging one anothe and adapted for being readily adjusted; either fully tclescoped, or adjusted to more or less space apart the individual yletters in such manner as the character of the sign, insignia or formative representation of the letters may make most desirable. A

llVith other objects in view that willbe hereinafter explained our invention consists of an improved construction and `arrangement of sign letters embodying the peculiar features and detailed arrangement of parts fullv described in the following` description,

specifically set out in the appended claims,y

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a face view of a portion of a sign formed with our improved individual sign letters, the several letters being shown at their innermost telescopieally engaged connection, a preferred' construction being illustrated.

Figure 2 is a similar view which shows 4 unit structure. portions of a pair of such y letters being' shown telescopically connected and interlocked. l'

Figure 7 is a view similar to 'Figure 6,

a slightly inodifiedform of letter. unit be` 'ing shown.

Figure S is a rearperspective of one of the letter plates and illustrates the preferred construction shown in Figures 1, 2` 3 and 6.

Figure 9 is a view similar to yFigure 8, the modified form of letter shown in Figure 7 being illustrated.

Figure 10 is a face view of a further modified form of 'our sign, the letters being shown connected to produce `a portion of a Sign.

Figure 11 is a horizontal section on the line 11--11 of Figure 9.

Figure l2 is a rear perspective view of one of the letter plates shown in Figures 10 and` 11, and hereinafter specifically re ferred to.

Figures 13 andlt are rear perspective views of the sign end finishing piece shown in Figure 10. i

In the practical development of our invention and in the preferred form thereof, each lettereharacter or ornamentation is embcssedor applied upon an enlargement or uniti in the nature of a metal plate that is struck up or otherwise formed from a blank member, of the shape best shown in Figure 5 ofthe drawings, by reference to which it will be observed the. said element or unit comprises a main or body portion l upon the outer face of whichis embossed, or applied in any suitable way, a letter 2.

At one side the body 1 has a flat extension 10 that is pressed back, in a plane parallel with the said body 1, the thickness of the metal, as is clearly shown 'in Figures 3 and 4, for the purpose of providing a smooth front finish of the several letter character elements or units when two or more of the said units are telescopically connected, as shown.

At the opposite (top and bottom) edges, the body l has turned back fianges 3 3, which flanges constitute keepers on one let ter element or unit with which the extension l() of an adjacent letter or unit telescopically engages, when assembling the different units in building up the sign, insignia or other formative or advertising matter, and to )rovide for a perfectly smooth nish at tl-he top and bottom edges of the sign, when the different units or el'ements are telescopically assembled, as in Figure 1, and the upper and lower edges of the extensions l0 are offset as at 1l11 So far as described, in connection with the drawings, itv will be readily apparent that the several letter units may be quickly put together with their extensions 10 fully telesooped, as in Figure 1, or only partly so, when widened spaces between the letter or other insignia are desired, as indicated in Figure 2Q To positively hold the letter units to their assembled connection provision is made for holding them locked together and in the preferred form the back-turned flanges or keepers 3 are each provided with a series ofperforations 30 vand the corresponding top and bottom edges of the member 10, that telescopically engage the said keepers, are provided with locking nibs 5 struck up from the said body portion 1. and which are sufficiently smooth to slip along the series of apertures 30 when fitting the latter yunits together to lock them spaced apart, or held closelyy together, the case may be, and also provide for pullingthe said letter units apart, as desired, the nibs 5 riding along the keepers 3 when pulling the two letter units apart under some force.

Instead of providing a series of perforations 8O along the keepers the extensions 10 may be provided with a single locking aperture 6, at the top, and a like aperture at the bottom edge, and located next the adjacent offset side of the. body portion 1, and the flanges or keepers in which each of the eX-y tensions 10 is telescoped and after the two units are slid together, the said flanges or keepers 8 are punched, just over theaper-A tures 6, to provide locking nibs 60 for interlocking with the said apertures 6, as clearly shown inFigure 7.

In Figures 9, 10 and 11, is shown a further modification of our invention and in this form, the letter units are provided with.

in the said modified form to provide for different s acing of the letters, since in the said modi 'ed form the letter units are posi tively held assembled to the one position, closely together, as shown in Figure 10.

ln the said modified form, the body portion l at that side opposite the extension 10 has ya longitudinal extension 7, and, at the vertical line of the offset, at the extension side, it has a slot 70, such body form providing for readily slipping the slot 70 over the tongue 7 of the adjacent unit when telescopically slipping the said extension 10 into connection with another letter unit, it being apparent, by referring to Figure 10, that when the two letter units are rslipped together, as stated, the tongue 7 of one unit can be quickly bent back and clamped over the cooperative extension 10 of the adjacent unit and the two units thereby held in a positive interlocked condition.

In the said modified form, the letters/,or other face ornamentations are preferably shaped up of thin metal and they are provided with tongues 8 adapted for slipping through apertures in the body 1 to clinch over the back of the said body l, as shown, it being understood that in the different forms shown the letters or other face ornamentations are embossed or fiXedly applied to the other face of the body portion 1 in any manner well known in the art to which the invention applies.

lt will be readily seen by reference to Figures 10, 13 and 14, that sign end finishing members may be provided, one being in the nature of a slip over plate 12 having turned over ends 13 for sliding over the fiat projection 10 of the adjacent let-ter unit, and the one at the opposite end being similar in construction to one of the letter units, it being` narrower in width, however, to correspond with the width of the slip over unit at the opposite end, and the said member has a plain face 14, as shown.

The said finishing member 14 may also be provided with an interlocking tongue 7 (see dotted lines, Figure 13) to adapt the same to use betweentwo letter units, as a spacer unit, as may be desired.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the complete construction and the manner in which our improved letter units lil) are assembled will be apparent to those fa-` miliar withthe art to which our invention relates. i

The advantages of the individual letters are many, chiefly the way ot cheapness of construction of words and sentences and the ease with which the lettering` may be altered and varied, since by keeping a stock ot lets ters constructed as shown and described, a business man may build up his own adver tising window, and for other uses such as outside door signs, indicating individual naines and places ot business, street signs,r

caisigns, house numbers, etc., all of which may be readily built up with our improved construction of letter units by anyone. By

constructing the letter units as described.

and shown, a sign built upthereby is self sustaining, needs no back support, the lock I body portion having an extension at one side and having its upper and lower edges bacleturned to form keeper flanges, the keeper flanges ot one unit being adapted Jfor telescopically,receiving the side extension of another unit, and means on the two units for holding them together.

2. A. formative indicator composed of a plurality of units each of like contour and each comprising a body portion on which is received a` letter or character', Lthe said body portion. having an extensionat one side andhaving its upper and lower edges back-turned to form keeper flanges, the keeper flanges of one unit being adapted for telescopically receiving the side extension of' another unit, the said extensions ot the units being bent back in a plane in parallel with. the front tace of the body portion whereby a uniform smooth iinish of the letter or character surfaces of the said body portion of the units is provided for.

3. il formative indicator composed of a plurality of units each of like contour and each: comprising a body portion on which is received a. letter or character, the said body portion having an extension at one side and having its upper and lower edges backturned to form keeper flanges, the keeper flanges of one unit being adapted for tele* scopically receiving the side extension of another unit, the said extensions of the units being` bent back in a `plane in parallel withV the front tace of the body portion whereby a uniform smooth finish oit the letter or 7character surfaces of the said body portion oit the units is provided'tor, the upperand lower edges of the side extensions being offset with respect to the body portion having the flanges or keepers to provide a uniform .smooth upper and lower edge of the sign made up from plurality of telescoped units.

e. formative indicator composed of a plurality oit' units each of like contour and each comprising a body portion on which is `received a.y letter or character7 the said body portion having an extension at one side and having its upper andlower edges baekturnedto f'orm keeper flanges, the keeper flanges ot' one unit being adapted for telescopically receiving the side extension of another unit, the said extensions of the units being bent back in a plane in parallel with the front face of the bodyportion whereby 'auniform smooth finish ofl the letter orv character surfaces ot the said body portionk of the units is provided for, means on the keepers oiione unit and the corresponding edges o'l the extension of an adjacent unit if'or interlocking the said extensions and the keepers to hold the adjacent ones ot the units to their partial or wholly'telescoped adjustment.

5. A formative indicator composed of a plurality of units of like contour each of' the said units comprising a body portion on` which `is received a letter or character, the said bodyL portion having an extension at one side and havingits upper and lower edges turned back to constitute keeper lianges, the keeper flanges of one unit being adapted forl telescopically ,receiving the side extensions of another unit and interlocking portions on the keepers and the extensions for holdingthe adjacent unit members to their adjusted position. i

6. A, formative indicator, composed of a plurality ot units of like contour, each unit comprising a body portion on which is receiveda letter or character, each body portion having an extension at one side, the said extension being bent back in a plane parallel with thexfront Jface of the said body portion whereby a vertical oflset of the full yheight of the unit is provided, the said body of the unit opposite its extension having a laterally projected punched tongue. the vertical ofiiset at the other side of the body portion having a slot disposed in horizontal alignment with the tongue, whereby to provide for slipping the slot in one unit over the tongue `of the adjacent edge of another uinit when ithe twounits are telescopically connected, the said tongue being adapted for being clinched back onto the extension of the unit having the slot for the purposes speciied.' y

y 7. A formative indicator composed of a plurality oi units each of like contour and each comprising a'body portion on which is hoidng them together and supplemental end units that Leleseopically engage the opposite end units and constitute sign end fin- 10 ishing portions.

W. M. ELLIOTT'. SHELDON E. COOKn 

